NEW DELHI: The Yamuna River in Delhi has risen above the previous record established in 1978 to its highest water level ever noted. The river is currently running at 207.55 meters, exceeding the previous record of 207.49 meters, according to the Central Water Commission (CWC). The public and officials are both concerned about this huge rise in water level.
Arvind Kejriwal, the mayor of Delhi, urges evacuation and requests intervention from the federal government in the Yamuna flooding.
Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, has asked residents who live in low-lying regions to leave their homes due to the rising water level of the Yamuna River. Kejriwal stressed the significance of placing human safety first in light of the abrupt rise in water levels and the possible risk it poses to locals. He requested that everyone leave during a news conference.
In addition, Kejriwal has asked the federal government to step in to fix the water discharge from the Hathinikund barrage in Haryana. Despite the absence of rain in Delhi during the previous two days, Kejriwal highlighted his worries over the rising water level in the Yamuna River in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He noted that the Hathinikund barrage in Haryana had been discharging unusually large amounts of water.
Kejriwal revealed at the press conference that Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had told him that the Hathinikund barrage lacks a reservoir to control water flow. The flooding problem in Delhi is exacerbated by this lack of control over water release.
The seriousness of the crisis is evidenced by the Chief Minister’s efforts to evacuate residents and request help from the federal government. In order to manage the flood situation effectively and lessen its effects on the impacted population, cooperation between the federal and state governments is essential. Residents should follow the authorities’ advise to evacuate and keep up with any new information or instructions they may receive from them.
The Yamuna River in Delhi appears to be seeing a major spike in water level as it reached 207.71 meters around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister, voiced alarm over the situation and said that the previous highest level recorded was in 1978 during a significant flood, when it was 207.49 meters. The Central Water Commission predicts that the water level would rise to 207.72 meters tonight, which is alarming.
The Chief Minister brought up the approaching G-20 Summit in Delhi and voiced his worry that news of a flood in the nation’s capital would not leave a good impression on the rest of the globe. He stressed the significance of teamwork in defending Delhi residents from this circumstance.
The following decisions were made at the meeting:
1. People in flood-affected areas will be transferred to government school buildings in the neighboring areas after being evacuated from flood-affected areas.
2. Setting up relief camps: Camps will be prepared with enough food, water, first aid supplies, and portable restrooms. In places that are susceptible to flooding, such as Sonia Vihar, Mukherjee Nagar, Haqeeqat Nagar, etc., proactive relief and preventative measures will be put in place.
3. Closure of educational facilities and non-essential government offices: Up to Sunday, all educational facilities and non-essential government offices would be closed in Delhi.
4. Commercial groups have been instructed to halt activities until the situation improves. This applies to businesses in and near Kashmere Gate.
5.Work from home authorizations: Private offices are urged to give their staff members authorization to work from home.
6.Bus operations will change: Buses that were affected by water and arrived at the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) and Kashmere Gate will now stop at Singhu Border. The Delhi Transport Corporation’s (DTC) services are available for passengers to use while they continue their trip to their destinations.
7.Adding more personnel: More personnel will be stationed in the flood-affected areas to control traffic.
8.Border entry restrictions: Only large vehicles transporting necessities will be allowed to cross the borders at Chilla, Loni, and Badarpur.
9.Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) can help with rescue efforts in addition to the 12 teams that are already present in the city.
10.Coordination between control rooms has been improved: All control rooms have been told to work together more efficiently to address emergencies.
11.Crematorium readiness: In the event that any facilities have to close owing to rising flood levels, crematoriums will be ready to handle the deceased.
12.Water distribution will be rationalized in light of the closure of the water treatment facilities at Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Okhla. This will assure a continuous supply of water.
13.Medical facilities’ readiness: Even after the floodwaters have subsided, medical facilities should be ready to treat any emergency.